


Happens so Fast

by baexil



Category: NCT
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Polyamory, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-04 23:42:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15157802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baexil/pseuds/baexil
Summary: Winwin has never had the easy side of life. He has had to fight tooth and nail to get anything, including his very sweet full ride scholarship to a private college that only the elite attend. He’s the only scholarship student of his year. Constantly surrounded by the elite who live with silver spoons in their mouths is a daily struggle.And just when Winwin thinks he’s hit a lucky spot, a summer job that will not only help pay for his tuition but also will give him the connections he needs for after graduation, 3 of his rich boy classmates arrive to blow his perfect plans of summer vacation to hell.





	Happens so Fast

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hakkais_shadow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hakkais_shadow/gifts).



Throwing himself onto the twin bed in a rather dramatic fashion, Winwin groans into the sheets and thinks about the mess he has gotten himself into.

Yuta’s proud and cunning smile flashes behind his eyes causing him to rather furiously grab his pillow and shove his face underneath it. 

Curse that gilded twat. 

His advisor had sold this summer internship as an opportunity he couldn’t turn down. After all, a foreigner with no connections couldn’t be expected to rise to the top, even if he was in the top 5% of his class three years running, Winwin tastes the sourness on his tongue and just smushes the pillow on his head even more. 

And so when the Yang Corporation reached out looking for a qualified student who was looking to work their summer holiday away instead of galavanting across the globe like his privileged classmates, Winwin was the natural pick. 

And naive Winwin fell for it. Good pay, getting room and board in Jeju island on a fancy property, and the opportunity to work for one of the top businesses in Seoul in an intimate way, working as the assistant to the family’s chief of staff. When he thought that it was too good to be true, he should’ve taken that first instinct. 

But no, he arrived at Jeju and dived into his work. He sucked up to the chief of staff, charmed the cook, and was nice but firm with the house and garden staff, eager to show himself to the Yang family, to show that even if he was a foreigner with no pedigree, he could still work his ass off. It was working all so well despite him running around the house for 10 hour shifts, trying to get everything ready for the family. 

And so when the prodigal son arrives, for Yuta’s smirking face to emerge from the sleek black car that rolled up the house, Winwin could’ve disjointed his jaw with how it dropped in shock. 

“Oh, Winnie~” Yuta says, that damned smirk not moving an inch, “What a pleasure to see your bright and smiling face here.” 

So many retorts come to mind, but Winwin’s mouth just gapes like a fish. Unable to say anything as Yuta breezes into the house, letting the staff pick up his luggage for him. 

Mr. Kim, the chief of staff, steps out of the car himself and blinks, “Are you acquainted with the young master?” 

Winwin bites his tongues at the wave of his first response, “Mr. Nakamoto and I are classmates,” he says stiffly instead. 

“Oh fantastic,” Mr. Kim says, pausing for a moment to ensure Yuta’s luggage is sent to the correct room. Winwin is trying to control his facial features when Mr. Kim comes and pats his shoulder in a friendly, almost paternal, way, “The family decided to take on a student intern when the young master mentioned that he wanted to come to the family’s summer home with some of his friends this break rather than return home to Japan. I knew I would need help with the additional guests along with the family.” 

Winwin’s stomach drops at the mention of friends and additional guests. There’s only a handful of friends that Yuta would invite over to his summer place. They were infamous at their university, the girls giggling over them and comparing them to that dumb Boys Over Flowers group, the one that Winwin has heard off but he’s never seen the drama. He didn’t have much time for tv between class, studying, and both of his part time jobs. 

Dread races up his back and he wants nothing more to turn on his heel and run back to Seoul. Well, run and swim. And if Doyoung showed up this summer, Winwin promises to himself he will throw himself off of the nearest cliff. 

Mr. Kim frowns worriedly at him, “Are you okay Mr. Dong? You look a little pale.” 

No kidding. 

——

Dinner, thankfully, is a busy affair, so busy in fact that Winwin has the excuse to not sit down with the family. Instead, he was able to convince Mr. Kim to have dinner with the family as he personally oversaw some of his duties for him instead. 

“An opportunity to relax,” he urged, “Use me while you have me.” Or before he packs up his stuff and runs away in the dark of night. 

Using work as an excuse to avoid Yuta worked as a temporary measure, but not a permanent one. 

Winwin stands in the kitchen, inhaling his food as the kind older woman who works as the family’s full time cook in both of their residents tuts over him while spooning more onto his plate. He appreciates the extra helpings, he has to keep such careful track of food and expenses in Seoul that this should be a blessing, but he’s getting awfully full and a bit nauseous but he doesn’t want to come off as rude. 

“Younghee,” that far too familiar voice calls. Winwin instinctually ducks behind the counters, “May I have some hot cho-“ 

Theres a pause and Winwin looks up, chopsticks still in his mouth as Yuta blinks at him. Okay, he should’ve taken a moment to think of both of the kitchen entrances before finding his hiding place. 

Yuta chuckles and turns to Younghee, “Actually, can we have two hot chocolates, please? It would be rude of me to drink your masterful hot cocoa in front of my classmate and not offer him any.” 

“Your classmate,” Winwin hisses, standing but grateful to find an excuse to drop his chopsticks and push his dinner bowl away, “Who you tricked into coming into Jeju with-“ 

“Tricked into coming to Jeju? That sounds an awful lot like a good thing to me. Tricked is such a…” Yuta trails off, a grin curling at the corner of his lips, “Conniving-sounding word.” 

“Oh apologies, young master,” Winwin almost spits out, “What word should I have used? Hijacked? Enticed? _Kidnapped_?” 

“Oh stop being dramatic,” Yuta waving a hand, almost to wave away Winwin’s words, the gesture makes him inexplicably angry. “Mr. Kim has been with my family since I was a child, he’s practically my uncle and I wanted to help him out this summer. It was easy to point them in the direction of our school to seek a qualified individual.” 

Yuta accepts his cocoa with a thankful smile, Winwin mutters a thanks at his own cup, frowning at the contents as Yuta continues, feeling a bit ashamed. How was Yuta to know that Winwin would be recommended to help Mr. Kim out? That would take a lot of effort and thought and Winwin wouldn’t occupy Yuta’s thoughts enough for him to make such a well-thought plan, after all Winwin was practically no-one at their school. The only reason he wasn’t looked over completely was because his grades were exceptionally good. 

Feeling a bit bad, Winwin takes a sip of the cocoa, which really is amazing, and says, “Ah, I see.” 

“Of course,” Yuta drawls, an impish grin thrown his way, “I knew that you would be the only student without any plans for the summer, so I knew if I sent them to the school, you surely would accept.” 

Shock vibrates down his spine, his mind going blank as Yuta drinks his cocoa, groans appreciatively, and pads from the room. 

That damn bastard. 

——

The next day is hard work. Apparently Yuta’s friends are set to arrive later that night and between getting the rooms and other things prepared and actively avoiding Yuta and his scummy face, Winwin finds himself running around the house’s campus and the time slips from his mind until Mr. Kim comes into the study as he reviews some numbers and turns on the light for him. 

Winwin blinks at the fluorescent. He hadn’t noticed getting dark at all, far too occupied with looking over receipts and anticipated spendatures for food and grocery shopping. What Younghee needed with that much vitamins, he didn’t know, but he had the inky he should let that one flip by. 

“Hard at work, I see.” Mr. Kim address him, a fatherly smile on his face. It warms him in his chest, feeling himself flush as he tries to hide it by ducking down to look at the ledger again. 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Did you get through your to-do list?” 

Winwin shrugs, “Almost, I had a few things pop up that weren’t originally on the list.” 

“Doesn’t it always end up like that,” Mr. Kim laughs, shaking his head lightly, “Well, you’ve done a great job addressing any issues that come up. We are looking forward to seeing how you keep growing.” 

He is definitely blushing by now, “Thank you sir.” 

“Now, it’s time to put the numbers away. It’ll wait until tomorrow. You’re young still yet, you’ll have many hours to whittle away in the office when you’re older, but for now you should go and use the family’s extensive leisure activities.” 

Shocked, he looks up, slightly hopeful, “Oh, can I? I wasn’t for sure…” 

“Of course!” Mr. Kim says, this time laying a hand on his shoulder, “Feel free to go or use anything of the family’s. Consider it a thank you for all of your hard work from here on and in the future.” 

“Yes sir!” Winwin says, quickly gathering his things up. 

“Oh and Winwin?” He stops halfway to the door to look back at Mr. Kim, there is a pause and Mr. Kim gives him one of those smiles again, “I recommend the pool first.” 

“Yessir!” 

——

After he receives permission to hang at the pool and he could’ve flown into his swim shorts, he is so excited. He pauses before he leaves, trying to think if there is a place where the family keeps pool towels, but grabs his shower towel from where its hanging on the back of the door to dry. Better to have a towel than none at all. 

He’s back out of his room and racing to the pool, before he can even think twice, longing for the coolness of the water after a long day in his shuit working all day. When he arrived for his internship, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to use the facilities on campus, including a pool, space, beach access with a personal attendent, indoor bowling, and an outdoor fire put. And an indoor pool, now that he thinks more about it. And he’s thrilled to have received permission to use them after his working hours. What an unexpected perk for a poor boy working his damnest. This will make working his entire vacation a bit better. To be able to relax after each day will be _awesome_. 

And so, he drops off his towel at a sun chair and dives head first into the pool. The first splash is so refreshing Winwin actually laughs while underwater, the taste is surprisingly salty and he wonders at the lack of chlorine he remembers from his childhood jaunts to the pool with his mother. 

He lingers a bit too long underwater, letting the water wash away the stress of the day, heck, the stress of having to basically serve Yuta all summer. What on Earth had that kid been thinking, hiding the fact that Yuta arranged for his family to basically take him in for the summer? 

What kind of side-agenda did Yuta have behind bringing him all the way to Jeju anyways? Surely there was something? It was the only Slytherin thing to do. And Yuta screams the king of all Slytherins, he may even look to Draco Malfoy for leadership and fashion advice. 

Thinking happily and a bit spitfully at the fact that Draco Malfoy’s end in the books. Beautiful, rich, but so cold and so alone, Winwin surfaces and is met with a glint of knowing eyes and a Cheshire grin. 

“Well good evening, Winnie~” Yuta says, fully dressed in all black. Winwin tries not to grin at his early, and fair, comparison instead adapting a wary stare. 

“I’m off work technically,” he says, feeling like he should mention right from the get-go. Sure, he’d be a bit in the gray area if Yuta asked him to help with something, after all he is supposed to serve as an almost personal assistant for the family, but Yuta didn’t have to know that. Plus Mr. Kim was technically his supervisor and he received permission from him to use the pool after work. 

Basically Winwin was going to pout real hard if he had to get out of the pool. 

“I’m not here for you, silly,” Yuta says, grabbing a towel from a small, covert set of drawers that Winwin mentally notes for next time, before he lays it down on the ground next to the pool and rolls up his black jeans to stick his feet in the water. 

Winwin feels a bit off-kilter at the move, the action feeling the most intimate he has ever seen Yuta. At school, Winwin sees Yuta from a distance, surrounded by his crew, dressed smartly and looking as if he is too cool for anything, especially school. Or he sees him smirking at something stupid someone has done. Now that he thinks about it, Winwin hasn’t seen him smile genuinely much, not even in class. Maybe there was one more time when Lucas leaned over to whisper something in his ear that had Yuta laughing genuinely. 

Figures it would be Lucas. 

“You are staring, Winwin,” Yuta prods gently, startling him from his thought, splashing his feet in the water. 

“Sorry,” Winwin mumbles, treading water so that his mouth is under the water, hopefully stopping him from saying anything stupid. 

“Enjoying the pool? It’s especially designed for salt-water which is safer than chlorine.” Yuta says, adding dryily, “And it protects my mothers dyed hair too.” 

There’s a pause, a beat, where Winwin blinks at Yuta’s attempt to make a joke. Was he trying to get him to relax and laugh? 

“I wondered about that,” Winwin says, trailing off. Theres another beat of silence before Yuta grins and Winwin’s breath shutters at the smile gracing his lips. So much more attractive than his usual smirk or sneer. 

“Ever the conversationalist, Winnie~” Yuta says, pulling his feet from the water and Winwin watches him dry off and roll his jeans back down, slipping his shoes back on with a twisting sense of relief that doesn’t feel much like relief for some reason. 

“Well, I hope you get to use it often during your stay,” Yuta says mysteriously before a house staff joins them. 

“Young Master, Mr. Wong has just arrived.” Yuta’s eyes widen for a moment before the largest, brightest smile Winwin has ever seen Yuta smile graces his face, lighting up his eyes with happiness, making his earlier smile look like nothing in contrast. Winwin’s chest burns and he splashes a bit in the pool to distract him as Yuta eagerly hurries into the house. 

Winwin watches him go before a stone of dread drops in his stomach. 

Oh God, now he was not only going to need to serve Yuta, but now Lucas too? 

Could this get any worse? 

——

As it turns out not only does Lucas come that evening, Taeyong does as well in the middle of the night, and Winwin so careful to disappear after meeting Yuta at the pool and frantically searches for busy work the next morning, anything far away from the three boys, but he’s not really sure why he keeps trying to be invisible around them when his job is literally to take care of them while they are here. 

Well his job is literally to support Mr. Kim, but Mr. Kim insists the biggest help he could do is take care of Yuta and his friends. 

And so when the hour ticks past 10 in the morning, Mr. Kim asks him to go rouse his classmates, he can’t really tell him no. He climbs the winding stair, worried about the reactions. He figures Yuta probably gave them the low down as he was scheming up this plot, but he wasn’t for sure. 

He checks Taeyong’s room first, somehow fearing his reaction the least, knocking a few times to no answer. Peeping in the room, he is shocked to find it empty. Wondering where he is and slightly worried he is going to have to search the whole campus for him, he moves to Lucas’s room. Only to find the same. 

His brain runs on an anxious panicked tangent, wondering if they are already playing some elaborate prank on him, only hours after they all arrived. What if they all decided to hide from him, knowing that he was supposed to get them to breakfast, just so Mr. Kim will think him incompetent? These thoughts running through his mind, Winwin checks the last room, opening the door without knocking this time, and his thoughts go completely blank. 

Yuta’s room is surprisingly open and airy, as opposed to his dark and twisted personality, with white and green accents, huge bay windows that are currently open to the ocean breeze, his sheer curtains catching the breeze in a whimsical dance with a huge bed, low to the ground and there, curled in impossibly soft looking duvets and a mountain full of pillows tossed between them are his three missing classmates. 

Taeyong is between the other two, his hands fisted in Yuta’s baggy sleep shirt and Lucas is curled so closely at his back that the line between them is nonexistant. They are all wrapped up in each other, so close and intimate that they fill almost a nest within the blankets, forming an easy circle with no ending. 

The sight takes Winwin’s breath. 

It’s soft and warm and intimate and Winwin isn’t so sure about seeing his classmates in such an intimate pose. Something beyond the friendly affections they show at school. He feels invasive, seeing the most peaceful expression on Taeyong’s face, usually crumpled in concern over something or another. A vulentariblity that he wasn’t asked to see. 

His heart beats a thousand beats a minute, thudding uncomfortably in his chest. He knows he should shut the door right then and there, closing off this angelic scene but something makes him pause, to take another beat, another breath, and commits this moment to memory. Only then does he quietly shut the door. 

As he does, he catches Yuta nuzzling further into Taeyong, and so he quickly and quietly beats a retreat. Running from the all sorts of thoughts and feelings that came with seeing them and not immediately feeling annoyed. He banishes the thought before he can think about it more. 

And he tells Mr. Kim that the boys requested another hour to sleep. No one thinks twice about it and luckily he is too busy meeting the pool maintenance worker to take them up at 11 for an early lunch. 

——

Again, he doesn’t get to avoid them for long. It’s as he is crossing across the pool deck, going from pool house to main house to check on some supplies and the staff, does the come across the three of them, laying out on the sun chairs. Yuta has some interesting-looking shorts on with sharks and half bitten surfboards that are so very short but his eyes quickly skip away. 

They go through a moment when they both know they’ve recognized each other, a tension in the air, but Winwin still tries to duck his head and flee but they don’t give him the chance. 

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Lucas asks, pulling his sunglasses down his nose, eyes glinting at him with mirth, “Mr. Dong, student extraordinaire.” 

Taeyong genuinely looks surprised, blinking rapidly at him before turning over to blink at Yuta who is actively ignoring him. Winwin wonders if he didn’t tell them. Again, Yuta’s motives for why he arranged this still confound him, why did the get his family to hire him if it wasn’t some sort of elaborate prank between him and the group they float around campus with. 

“Winwin, what brings you here?” Taeyong asks and he clings to the surprised tone to keep him temper. 

“I was offered a summer internship with the Yang Corporation and I was recommended to take it by the head of our department at school due to, well,” he trails off, not need to fill in the obvious, he status well known between his classmates. Poor. Smart. Foreign. No connections. 

“And so you received the opportunity of a lifetime,” Lucas teases, “You couldn’t say no to that.” 

Winwin flushes with anger, head snapping up to defend himself, damn rich bastards who try to shame him for trying for a better life as they cost through life who don’t understand the priveldge that is handed to them with no questions. But is instead surprised when Lucas grins down the way at Yuta instead, as if he was teasing him rather than Winwin. 

“And he had no idea because that Yang family isn’t the Nakamoto family.” Taeyong continues, also looking at Yuta incredulcously. 

Yuta ignore them both, instead pushing his sunglasses further up and turning a page in his book, “Winwin, can you fetch Younghee for us? I’m afraid this heat is getting to me and I’m parched.” 

Taking his cue to leave, Winwin steadies his pats so he doesn’t actually run away from the three of them. As he goes, he can hear Taeyong hissing, Lucas laughing opening, and Yuta raising his tone at both of them. 

——

The next morning, Winwin smiles at Younghee, graying a fresh brew of coffee and grabs the newspaper from the counter, waving off her protest of an actual breakfast before caving in and accepting some fresh fruit. Might as well take advantage of the unlimited food supply before he has to go back to rationing every penny. 

He’s always through the politics section when Lucas rolls into the kitchen. Winwin blinks, surprised at the early hour and Lucas’s presence and quickly takes in his bleary eyes and ruffled sleep clothes. Winwin watches, transfixed at Lucas who clearly runs on autopilot but seemingly nonfictional beyond pouring himself a cup of coffee. He inhales a mouth of black, hot coffee and Winwin finds himself surprised at the preference. He supposes he thought most of his rich classmates only likely the newest product of sweetness at Starbucks. But Lucas seemed to easily move past a lot of his preconceptions about him. 

It’s not until Lucas finishes his first cup and is on his second when he notices Winwin, standing at the island, newspaper spread out in from to him and a plate of fruit and a muffin that Younghee managed to slip him sitting next to him. Lucas fruits at him and he guesses that is as much of a good morning he is going to get. Smothering his smile in case Lucas takes offense and thinks he is laughing at him, but he finds it unbearably cute how muddled he looks first thing in the morning. 

Before he can stop himself, Winwin nudges his plate of breakfast towards Lucas, almost like an offering. 

There’s a moment as Lucas blinks the sleep from his eyes and actually recognizes another human is standing next to him before he accepts, popping an apple slice in his mouth, following quickly with a swig of coffee. 

He knows better than to poke the bear before it’s awake but the unguardedness of it all and the regained twinkle in Lucas’s eyes as he finished his second cup has him saying, “You are up early.” 

Lucas grunts into his empty mug, already reaching for his third, “I know, I hate mornings.” 

He sighs, leaning on the counter with his refilled mug, coffee cup between his hands, the wide neckline of his sleep shirt drooping, infinitely showing his collarbones. Winwin is very distracted as Lucas continues. 

“Taeyong had nightmares all night and Yuta fitfully sleeps when he is stressed and so when he _literally_ kicked me out of bed ten minutes ago, I figured I might as well just get up.” 

Winwin blushes, the imagine of all three of them curled in bed flashing before he eyes, but his is surprised by the story of Taeyong’s nightmares. Well, surprised and curious what would give the sheek Taeyong nightmares. But he doesn’t ask any more. 

Lucas leans over to steal his whole breakfast plate before he can even move, grinning impishly at him. 

“You don’t know this yet, but Younghee’s muffins are second to none,” he says, crumbling the muffin into more moderately sized bites. 

It takes him a moment to put two and two together, “So you’ve been here before?” 

Popping a piece of muffin into his mouth and throwing his head back to groan, Lucas gives him an eyeful of his long, sun kissed neck. Winwin swallows quickly, eyes dropping down for a half of a heartbeat to watch his Adams apple bob invitingly. Seemingly like he has a sense for this, Lucas’s eyes glitter at him as he takes another piece of muffin. 

“Come here.” He beckons. Winwin is moving before his thoughts have time to catch up and Lucas leans to him, getting very close and feeds him the piece of the muffin. He can’t really taste the chocolate chip muffin, he is sure it's great, but he is more memorized by how close Lucas is, how deeply brown his eyes are and how his lips curl upwards at the corners in the most attractive way. 

Winwin quickly steps away and Lucas grins knowingly at him. He clears his throat and goes for his own coffee mug, muttering, “It’s good.” 

Lucas doesn’t respond, leaning against the counter and very obviously drinking him in with his eyes, letting his eyes roam over Winwin. Feeling uncomfortably exposed, Winwin changes the topic. 

“Why are you spending the summer here?” 

A bit of that spark fades from Lucas’s eyes and he immediately regrets his question. 

“My new step-mother doesn’t like me around,” he says flatly, “And why would she? She’s only 5 years older than I am.” 

Winwin winces, scrambling for something to say, but Lucas smiles at him, it not settling quite right around his lips. 

“I’ll catch you later, Student Extraordinarie.” He says and Winwin can’t help but to think he’s done something terribly wrong. 

——

At lunch time, Winwin ensures that the family lunch is in full swing, running smoothly, so he can check on the pool boy but gets pulled into a squabble between the gardener and the landscaper so it’s not until late afternoon that Winwin is able to grab a bit to eat let along have a moment to sit and rest. Seeking some solace, he takes his food into the library, expecting to be alone when he finds that to be the opposite of the case. 

Taeyong looks up from his book from where he is curled up in a rage armchair, glasses askew on his face. Winwin’s breath catches at the sight. It’s really unfair how beautiful his classmate is. If he could die and pick someone else face to be born with, he wouldn’t hesitate to pick Lee Taeyong. 

“Ah, Winwin,” Taeyong says, shifting to sit up more in his chair, “Are you just now eating?” 

“Yeah,” Winwin says, somewhat lamely, trying to decide whether he should turn and try to find somewhere else to eat when Taeyong gestures to the armchair adjacent to his. 

“Please sit, eat,” he urges and Winwin is too hungry to politely refuse. 

It’s not until he is seated that he notices the tired slump to Taeyong’s shoulders, dark circles under his eyes marring his delicate features. He shuffles his feet, his conversation with Lucas replaying in his head. 

“I didn’t mean to bother you and your book,” he says. 

“Please,” Taeyong says with a smile, folding the book gently on his chest, “I know the library is the best place to find some quiet and I would hate for you to get pulled into more work before you can have your lunch.” 

Somewhat touched by the kindness and courtesy, Winwin is reminded how Taeyong’s vibe has always been a bit different from the rest of their pack of friends, a bit softer, more gentle. They sit in silence for a while, Winwin chewing slowly, letting the workload fall from him at the sounds of Taeyong picking back up his book and occasionally turning apage. It’s oddly peaceful and he finds himself stealing glances at Taeyong, his glasses perched smartly on the end of his nose. 

After he finishes his meal, he is lulled by the comfortable quietness between them and Taeyong’s steady presence and sets his plate on the side table. Pulling his feet to him, he curls up in the chair and decides to close his eyes for just a few minutes before he needs to return back to the busy pace of his work day. 

He wakes with a jolt and immediately notices the slant of the setting sun rays through the library windows and quickly turns into panicking at how long he fell asleep for. He groans, this is what he gets for stressing over Yuta and his ulterior motives, this odd threesome, and general fretting about this job and his future went ended up with him sleeping very little last night. Brain trying to frantically catch up and be more awake, Winwin just notices the plush blanket that is tucked around him. Blinking, he looks over to see Taeyong asleep too, mouth slight agape and his book falling from his fingers. 

His heart clenches, did Taeyong tuck him under the blanket? He is surprised he was able to sleep so easily with another person in the room and is amazed that Taeyong could do the same. He is again reminded of the other boys nightmares and his chest squeezes painfully, happy that Taeyong could find a bit of sleep here after what sounded like a fitful night. 

Careful to not disturb him, Winwin slides from his chair and tip toes to Taeyong, carefully grabbing his book and places it on the table within hand’s reach. He also ever-so-carefully, pulls his glasses, somehow still on Taeyong’s nose, from his face and places folds them on top of his book. As a last touch, he takes the blanket that he used and drapes the warm, soft blanket on Taeyong's sleeping frame. He takes a selfish moment to soak in a look at Taeyong looking so peaceful before he gathers his things and quietly leaves the library. 

Shutting the door with a soft click, Taeyong looks up and sees Yuta approaching him from down the hall. 

“Morning, sleeping beauty,” he greets. 

Winwin’s eyes widen, how did he- Was the blanket actually- 

“Did Taeyong finally close his eyes too?” Yuta asks, Winwin nods and Taeyong smiles small and genuinely, one Winwin hasn’t seen before, his heart thudding loudly in his ears, “Great news.” 

Winwin nods and turns but stops when Yuta says, “Oh, and don’t worry, I let Mr. Kim know you were feeling ill this afternoon and needed some time off.” 

Dread drops in his stomach as he lets out a soft _oh no_ , his brain already running with the implication, he hoped Mr. Kim didn’t think he was bunking off of work or fooling around or asking the young master to cover for him. 

“Hey,” Yuta pulls him from his thoughts with a gentle hand to his shoulder, “Don’t worry. With how hard you’ve been working, it’s been noticed and you deserve a few hours off to catch up on some sleep.” 

Winwin’s heart is in his throat and Yuta gives him another one of those smiles, “And thanks for helping us finally getting Taeyong to sleep. It means a lot.” 

With that, Yuta quietly slips into the library. Winwin contentedly watches him go, unsure of what to do when Yuta seems to determined to shatter all of his preconceptions about him. 

——

It’s after 8pm the next day, after dinner was completed and some other tasks were done when Mr. Kim comes to him. He expects to be told good job and to be officially off-duty for the night, but instead is asked to go to the pool deck where the young master has asked for him. 

Heart beating uncomfortably in his chest at what Yuta could possibly want with him, he obeys, finding them lounging at the pool together. The pool is light with some lights underwater that slowly glows from color to color, there are a few other mood lights, nothing too bright to dim the amazingly clear night sky, the stars burning down at them. 

Lucas is sitting on a sun chair, sipping a fancy looking cocktail, Taeyong curled into his side, and Yuta is splashing in the pool. At his entrance, Yuta hollers excitedly, “Ah, Winnie~ So nice of you to finally join us.” 

His cheeks are obviously flushed, even in the low lights and Winwin wonders how long they’ve been out here drinking. He glances up and notices one of the house staff that also serves as the family’s bartender when needed in the outdoor bar area. They share a look, the staff’s eyebrows raised, tells Winwin everything that he needs to know. 

“You asked Mr. Kim to send me, of course I would come,” Winwin says evenly, keeping the exasperation from him. Of course, while he has been busting his ass around the house, they were relaxing and getting drunk by the pool. Playing while he slaved over meticulously going through the expendures for the day. 

“Hey,” Yuta calls for the staff, voice decidedly bossy, “Get us all another round, one for Winwin too.” 

He is immediately uncomfortable, “With all due respect, I cannot drink while I’m working.” 

“Oh, loosen up,” Yuta scolds him, swimming over to pull himself from the pool. Winwin is distracted by the way the water drips from his hair and down his chest to those awful shark swim shorts, enough to not step away when Yuta slings an arm around his shoulders, “You just need a drink and to relax.” 

Stepping from him in order to get some space between them and to get Yuta’s wet arm away from his work suit, Winwin again respectfully declines, “Apologies, Yuta, but until I’m dismissed for the day, I really can’t.” 

“Oh my god,” Yuta throws his hands in the air exasperatedly, turning to get some support from Lucas and Taeyong who are watching him closely, “Look boys, we have a stick in the mud.” 

Feeling embarrassed and feeling the stares from not only Lucas and Taeyong but the staff person as well, has Winwin feeling a bit frustrated at the obviously drunk Yuta. He may technically be his boss, but that wasn’t reason enough to berate him for following the rules. 

He opens his mouth to address Yuta only to see his devious smile as he quickly slides in close to him and gives a solid push to his chest and next thing he knows, he is falling backwards into the pool with a huge splash. 

He sputters, shocked at being pushed into the pool, coughing up that salty water before he finds his feet at the bottom of the pool. Feeling almost detached for a moment as he slowly comes to the realization that Yuta actually pushed him into the pool, as if he was five years old and hearing Yuta’s cruel laughter in the background, Winwin looks down, wiping the water from his eyes as he squints and sees his suit, soaked through and completely ruined. 

And that’s when he snaps. 

“You know what Yuta?” He raises his voice, tone chilled with an icy anger that rushes furiously at him from the core of his being, “Fuck you!” 

Yuta laughter stops as he stares, open mouthed at Winwin. This might’ve been the first time he’s ever cursed in front of his classmate, but he can’t be bothered by it for even a moment. 

“Fuck you, you fucking twat!” He says, wading through the edge to pull himself out of the pool, water dripping everywhere, it only fuels his fire, “Just because I am not from a wealthy family, just because I have had to work for everything I have, does _not_ mean you get to fucking do this to me!” 

Winwin storms into his personal space in a fit of fury, pointing a finger directly into his face and uncaring if it’s rude, “Just because you have had everything handed to you since birth, floating through life not understanding what it’s like to go hungry, to have to decide between having drinks with friends or keeping the lights on or heat in the winter, does _not_ mean that you are any better than me.” 

“Do you see this suit?” He asks, pointing at the ruined suit, “Does it look familiar? It’s the same suit I wore to our freshman orientation three years ago, the same one that I wore when you arrived at Jeju, and did you notice that it’s the same suit I’ve had to wear everyday I have been in this god forsaken house and I’m sure you can’t even fathom why I would wear something like this over and over again? Right? Right?!” 

He takes vindication in the frightened look on Yuta’s face, feeling a sick satisfaction deep down, “It’s because I had to save 6 months to buy this suit. 6 months of ramen and studying at the library because I chose to go without paying my electric bill again, to living without air conditioning, just so I could get it tailored. Sacrifices to get something so small to you, just a _fucking_ suit. One fucking suit. The only fucking suit I own.” 

Yuta is slowly backing away from him and he lets him, a big part of him enjoying the cowering at this moment, “This suit that you fucking _ruined. Ruined!_ ” his voice cracks and it’s only then that in all of his anger that tears prick at the corner of his eyes. He is so frustrated and angry, he continues, even as his voice trembles. 

“And I cannot understand why you purposefully brought me here if you were only going to make me feel like like dirt, you fucking asshole-“ He has to break eye contact with Yuta, trying to contain the anger as his hands clench into fists, nails cutting into his skin. As he does so, he catches a glance at Taeyong who looks so scared. Who is, Winwin realizes with a jolt, looking at him so terrified. 

Realization crashes on him, his own self-judgement rushing back to him in a wave so fierce that his vision swims and he sways on his feet a bit. Yuta makes a move as if to reach out to him and he flinches away, turning on his heel and bolting for the house. 

His words come flooding to him with every step away from Yuta and he’s not sure what the fuck he just did, snapping at the young master of the company who graciously let him have a summer internship, to give him the opportunities and connections he couldn’t get working his three part time jobs in Seoul and he’s not sure that he won’t be immediately kicked out of the house, but he’s not sure where else to go and so he sets off in the direction if his rooms. He might hear some calls of his name, but he just goes faster. The hallway feels smaller and longer for some reason, crowding in on him in an uncomfortable way and his breath is coming in an increasingly faster pace. 

_What the hell was he thinking?_ Sure, he meant every word but there were things boys like him were able to say or do and then were things boys like him were not able to say or do, needing to stay silent and let the privileged have their way. Like what he had done for so many years as he struggled to make a better life for himself while his classmates squandered their wealth. 

Winwin reaches his room only to freeze with his hands halfway to the door nob. God, Yuta could easily kick up a fuss and ruin all the things he had worked so hard for. He could fire him, kick him back to Seoul, sully his name, and ensure that he would never work for a good company again. A bad recommendation from the Yang family could be the ruin of everything for him. An uncomfortable lump settles in the base of his throat and the hot press of tears pick at the corners of his eyes. Wanting refugee before he breaks down again, Winwin frees himself enough to open the door. 

There’s nothing he wants more than to crawl into his bed and pull the covers over his face and sob into his pillow but he is still drenched from head to toe. Remembering that his suit, the suit he worked so hard for was beyond saving, including his scuffed and worn leather shoes, breaks the straw and tears run down his face. He sobs and contemplates just packing all of his belongings now. Why wait when Mr. Kim would surely be here in a moment, Yuta on his heels, asking him to leave the house. He doesn’t know he can deal with a disappointed look on Mr. Kim’s face. 

A knock at his door has him flinching. He grits his teeth and prepares to tell whoever it is to fuck off when Taeyong’s warm tenor is heard instead. 

“Winwin?” He finds his shoulders falling, steady tears still flowing down his face, but his defenses slowly falling at the sound of Taeyong’s voice, “Winwin, are you okay?” 

Wanting to respond, Winwin tries to but only ends up hiccuping a sob instead. Instantly, the door is open and Taeyong is quickly shutting it behind him. 

“Oh, Winwin,” Taeyong says, eyes wrinkling unhappily, “I am so sorry.” 

Unable to stop, he closes his eyes and continues to cry. A soft touch to his shoulder has him shuddering a sigh but he inexplicably doesn’t flinch away. Taking this as his cue, Taeyong gently leads him into slipping out of his damp clothes, helping him piece by piece. He also makes sure that he gives reassuring touches between peeling different articles of clothing from him. A caress to his collarbone, a firm steady hand at the small of his back, a squeeze to his arm. 

Winwin shivers at the attentions and his sobs subside at the intimate but also supremely comforting and almost familial touches. It’s somehow a service and not sexual despite how easy that would be with his increasingly bare body. Taeyong also says nothing, just carefully, methodically helping him undress. 

When he is down to his boxers, Winwin flushes a bit self-consciously but Taeyong just gives him a lopsided smile and buries him in a mountain of towels that he brought with him. They are sun-warm as they are wrapped around his shoulders, waist, and Winwin wonders if he stole the entire cabinet of towels before chasing after him. The thought is endearing and it slowly starts to warm a small cold part in his chest that lingers. 

“C’mon,” Taeyong says, reaching out his hand to him and he takes it, their fingers lacing together as he is led through the house. Now familiar with every nook and cranny, it doesn’t take him long to realize where they are heading. Heart beating anviously, Winwin pulls back. 

“I’m not ready to see him yet.” 

“Don’t worry, Yuta’s not here, he’s on the shit list,” Taeyong reassures with a twisted smile, “He’s grounded until I say otherwise,” Winwin blinks, surprised but somehow not that surprised that Taeyong has that much power and authority over Yuta. Yuta may seem like the reigning leader of their pack of friends, but Winwin gets the sense that Taeyong is the one leading from the shadows. 

Taeyong looks at him and offers his hand again, eyes full of warmth and sympathy, “Trust me?” 

Inevitably, they lace hands together again. How could he say no to that? 

He isn’t in Yuta’s room long at all, just long enough to see a mess of clothes everywhere but a meticulously made bed, before he is led into the bathroom. 

Lucas straightens from where he was swirling his hand through a large Jacuzzi tub. 

“It’s ready,” he says. Winwin ducks his head, somehow more shy for Lucas to see him with red, puffy eyes and tears than almost near-naked under a pile of towels. Lucas doesn’t comment, just gives his shoulder an affirming squeeze before he slips out to the bedroom. 

Taeyong pushes him towards the bath with a smile, “Go on.” 

Winwin blinks, “For me?” 

“Of course,” Taeyong says, “Enjoy yourself and I’ll be back in just a moment.” And then he follows Lucas. 

Obeying, Winwin sighs as he sinks into the warmth of the tub. There is a faint lavender smell coming from the water, some petals floating in the water, barely visible with the copious amounts of bubbles. Winwin giggles and sinks down so that he is chin-high in bubbles when Taeyong pops his head in the door. 

“Decent?” He asks. 

“Decent enough,” Winwin says with a teasing lilt, the warmth of the water, the smell, and mainly the care and attention from them warming his chest in a wonderful way. 

He is a bit surprised when both Lucas and Taeyong join him, sitting by the tub in their sleep clothes, looking warm and comfortable. Lucas leans on his elbow on the edge of the tub, looking at Winwin with a serious look in his eyes. 

“Yuta went a bit too far,” he starts. Winwin’s heart drops as he realizes they are going to talk about this, his lips trembling slightly. 

“Yeah, he did.” Taeyong confirms, “But he also knows it.” 

“He can be dumb when he is drunk,” Lucas says dryly, “But he sobered up real quickly after seeing your reaction to getting a dunk. And we love him so much its dumb, but we still gave him an earful after you left.” 

“And we are going to let him do his own apologies to you, that’s not our job, but we do want to give you a bit of background.” Taeyong explains, grabbing Winwin’s hand and laces their fingers together again. Winwin soaks in the comfort he gets from the motion. 

“Yuta is obsessed with you.” Lucas says, cutting to the quick. 

“Ob…Sessed?” He asks incredulously, “Bullshit.” 

“Oh it’s so true,” they share a look and a laugh before Lucas goes on, “Since freshman year, Yuta has been so love sick, like a puppy, its so cute. His eyes never leave you when you are in a room, he even made a point to following your academic and extra-curricular career including reading that paper you published with the visiting environmental lawyer professor.” 

Winwin blinks, just trying to soak in all of the information. It doesnt' feel quite real, to know that Yuta has been watching him for this long. For someone that looked so cold, so distant, so everything that he himself wasn't, it felt like everything was turning on it's head. “Oh.” “Oh is right,” Taeyong says, “So of course, we were surprised when you were just here this summer, but we also weren’t.” “Surprised he went that far,” Lucas adds to Taeyong’s nod. “And Yuta wasn’t trying to trick you or make you feel inferior or bad when he got you this internship in a backwards way,” Taeyong says, taking a moment to find the words, “Yuta he- He loves very deeply, intensely, and so he is willing to do anything to make sure that the people he loves are taken care of. And this was his weird way of helping you.” 

“In his weird, backwards way.” 

“He got me an internship to take care of me?” Winwin asks, not quite understanding. It's still sounding like some sort of elaborate prank. 

“He knew it would be high profile enough to help you after graduation but I also think that he thought that you might like it here. And you might be able to use the time to relax, to spend time at the beach, to enjoy Jeju.” 

“And he also selfishly was thinking that it was an easy way to spend more time with you.” 

“Oh,” Winwin repeats, sinking a bit further in the water. So strange to think that Yuta has been thinking that the whole time he has been here. Why wouldn't he say anything? But also, what has Winwin done to let him have those vulenerable conversations. Lucas chuckles, pulling him from his thoughts, and grabs Winwin’s hand where it is laced with Taeyongs, grabbing them both. 

“It’s so backwards, isn’t it?” He asks, leaning to place a kiss on the back of his hand, “But that’s our Yuta.” 

“So Yuta is interested in me… Like that?” Winwin asks curiously. Still not quite believing what he is hearing. 

Taeyong nods, “For years now.” 

“But,” he starts, suddenly feeling shy, the image of the three of them curled impossibly close in sleep a few night ago flashing before his yes, “But about your- I thought you were all… Yanno.” 

Lucas grins at him, “Yanno what?” 

Taeyong rolls his eyes and shoves Lucas with his free hand, “He likes us too. And we like each other enough to make it work.” 

“And we like you too,” Lucas adds helpfully, leaning forward to peck a kiss on his nose, “If you are open to it.” 

Winwin blinks, surprised. He turns to Taeyong who blinks slowly at him and leans forward himself. The kiss is soft, the briefest brush of lips again his own before Taeyong leans back. Reflexively, Winwin licks his lips where Taeyong just was and its sweet. It was chaste, but after all of the emotions of the day, he’s not sure he could handle much more. 

“I’m tired.” He announces. 

“Of course,” Taeyong says, staying put to keep holding Winwin’s hand as Lucas procures some towels and some soft looking pajamas. They leave him to get changed and when he exits the bathroom, the bed’s covers have been turned down and Taeyong looks up from where he is laying and silently reaches his hand out again. 

It’s basically a reflex at this point, Winwin reaching out to lace their hands together and lets them drag him between their bodies. The light is switch off and he easily drifts off between the two of them. 

Before he sinks fully into sleep, Winwin can't help but to think that maybe all of those times that he has caught Yuta sneering in his direction, maybe it was actually a shy boy trying to check on his crush without being too obviously with what he was doing. Especially if he wasn't sure about the response he could get. 

And he also can't help but to think about all of the time that he spent staring over at Yuta and his friends, feigning anger frustration when in fact it was a bit jealous at how close they were to Yuta. 

——

He wakes feeling warm and cared for in a way he hasn’t felt since he moved to Korea all those years ago. A kiss is brushed gently over his eyebrow, another to the tip of his nose, and its enough to stir Winwin more fully from sleep. 

“Good morning,” Taeyong says happily. Lucas groans something intelligible behind him and he giggles at how bad he is in the mornings. It takes him a bit longer to notice another presence in the bedroom, Yuta shifting in the corner of his eyes. 

The master of the plot to get him here and somehow also his long time crush, Yuta is standing awkwardly by the bed, his hands behind his back. 

“Ugh, wait, I want to be more awake for this,” Lucas complains, but also unlatches his arms so that Winwin can sit up better. Lucas groans a bit at the loss but Taeyong slides in to take Winwin’s former spot between his arms as Yuta hisses like an angry cat. Taeyong laughs and shushes Lucas as Yuta refocuses on Winwin. 

“I’m sorry,” he says in a rush. Winwin waits for a moment, foolishly thinking that he may say something else, but he doesn’t. He should've known, coming from a boy who couldn't even be upfront with him and ask him to go on vacation together. Or even come up and say hi, lets grab a coffee and make out and date and be awesome. A frown tugs at Winwin's mouth, he heart feels soft but he needs a bit more from Yuta to be convinced. 

“And?” he prods. 

“I’m the biggest dick ever.” Okay, a laugh twitches at his lips. 

“And?” 

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness.” “Obliviously. And?” 

“I’m sorry for deceiving you to come down here so I could selfishly have you all to myself.” 

“Well yourself and Taeyong and Lucas.” He replies to agreeing noises behind him. 

“Don’t press your luck, brat!” Yuta barks, finally losing his patience. Laughing, Winwin reaches his arms out to Yuta and he practically launches himself into his arms, so opposite from the stiff person who gave the lamest apology. Yuta whimpers happily, smothering Winwin and nuzzling at his neck, placing a kiss there. 

“God, sleeping in the guest room is awful! How do we not have tempur-pedic for all of our beds in the house?” Yuta complains. 

Winwin rolls his eyes and shuts him up with a kiss. Someone’s nose bumps into his cheek and he laughs as Lucas pushes Yuta away to steal a kiss from Winwin. Yuta grumbles and waits all of five moments before he is pushing Lucas away again. Lucas refuses to budge though, so they quickly devolve into wrestling, Yuta trying to pin Lucas to the bed. 

Taeyong uses the opportunity to card his hand through Winwin’s hair, guiding him forward to place his own kiss on his lips. Taeyong’s lips make him greedy, quickly deepening the kiss but Taeyong dances away from him with a mischievous smile. 

“Yuta?” 

Yuta and Lucas both freeze at Taeyong’s call, only solidifying Winwin’s thoughts about the shadow king in their group of friends. 

“You forgot to mention one more thing?” 

“Oh,” Yuta says, crawling back up to sit in Winwin’s lap, “We are going shopping today and I’ll buy you a new suit.” 

Winwin’s breath rushes from him. He feels a bit stubborn, wanting to insist that he can pay for these things on his own, he has taken care of himself for so long now, but a large majority of him knows that this is Yuta’s way of taking care of him. And maybe, just maybe, it might be nice to let someone take care of him tto. So he asks, “Oh, so you are taking me on our first date?” 

“First date?” Lucas asks, popping up from the bed with an energy he didn’t have ten minutes ago, “Oh no, I get to have his first date.” 

“If you think that I am going to let you-“ Yuta launches himself at Lucas who looks to have a bit more fight in him when they start wrestling again. 

Winwin laughs happily as Taeyong tucks into his side to watch the match. There is a joy and warmth in his chest that makes him feel the lightest he has felt in years. 

——

Back in Seoul, his collegiate department head sits before him, looking sternly down at him from behind his steel-gray glasses. 

“And what would you say you gained the most from your time with the Yang family during your internship?” 

Winwin bites his tongue, thinking of the beach, sandy kisses, the warmth of sun-kissed skin against his own, and being held so closely at night, the moon hanging full in the sky. 

If only his professor knew.

**Author's Note:**

> What a fun prompt! I just want to let you know that I had to ask for an extension because this fic QUICKLY got away from me. I haven't written something like this in such a long time and it was so cathartic. THANK YOU for the prompt. I sincerely hoped you enjoyed. See you on the other side of reveals!
> 
> Also, for anyone wondering, I specifically used the name Winwin because i think he would use a name that would be easier for his classmates and professors to pronounce. I do, however, think that he would be strangely turned on by lucas calling him with the proper intonation. Ahem. Anywho.


End file.
